17 posts tagged “cristina”
Or, was. Or, might still be. Or, I don't know. Don't mention it. Very confusing.
Anyway, on this day, in the great state of New Jersey, the hyper-masculine, miniscule bibliophile known as Glenn Danzig was born... born to wear mesh shirts and violently hump air. Thank Cthulhu.
With less fanfare than last year's lack of fanfare, we salute Mr. Danzig and wish him 53 more years of howling with the wolves and humping with the hoes.
From 2007's The Lost Tracks of Danzig, the acoustic version of "Come to Silver", a song originally written for Johnny Cash, is a hell of a lot better than the one that appears on 1996's Blackacidevil. It's not about alchemy, in case that you wondered. Simple and melancholy, it reminds me of a typical, late-19th century novel chronicling the rise and bitter demise of some poor schmuck -- all in less than 4 minutes.
Miss Anzalone, If You're Nasty, Cristina
My fascination with Italian Prog-Rock band Goblin (and film scores in general) began right after my first viewing of Dario Argento's Tenebre. The giallo was pretty good, but I couldn't get the dramatic, porno-disco theme out of my head. I kept going back and rewinding the first few minutes of the tape. It didn't take too long to realize that I would be Goblin's skeazy bitch for life.
Goblin is and will always be associated with Italian horror auteur Dario Argento. In 1975, he offered an unknown Cherry Five the opportunity to replace composer Giorgio Gaslini on the excellent film Profondo Rosso. With a slight line-up change and a new moniker, they went straight to the top of the charts for 56 weeks. In their short three-year existence, they would also score Argento's much beloved Suspiria and Zombi, his cut of Dawn of the Dead.
Through the 80s, bassist Fabio Pignatelli continued to work on soundtracks under the Goblin name -- with and without any of the original band members. Keyboardist Claudio Simonetti encountered success in composing and producing dance music. Some credit him as one of the founders of the somewhat hated Italo Disco movement. He also scored a number of horror films, including all of Argento's most recent projects.
In 2000, Dario Argento managed to reunite Pignatelli and Simonetti with guitarist Massimo Morante and drummer Agostino Marangolo for Non ho Sonno. The soundtrack, while a little heavier than expected, was a really good surprise. The band planned to perform live for the first time in decades at Cult Con 2000 in Tarrytown, NY. Unfortunately, someone got a little pissy and a threat of a lawsuit was thrown around. Hence, only Simonetti and his band Daemonia showed up. The hate was back on!
But, that wasn't quite the end for Goblin. Five years later, Pignatelli, Morante, and Marangolo would hook up with Goblin's other keyboardist, Maurizio Guarini, and release Back to the Goblin 2005. Admittedly, I tend to favor their work with Simonetti, but this is a pretty classic Goblinesque affair. No complaints from me.
annoyed by time constraints, Cristina
I'm just surprised that Danzig spent so much time unemployed and living in his parents' basement, instead of working for the New Jersey Tourism Board. There's more to NJ than shopping, folks -- Infection and possible death. Remember, biohazard is just a beach away. Just kidding. They picked up those syringes ages ago.
Now, ready yourselves for some really unscary tunes.
Well, not this one. This is a really frightening song -- if you're four years old. I don't know when or where I first heard it, but I've loved spelling the chorus forever.
Wade Denning was a composer and jingle writer. (He passed away this last September.) Kay Lande is an actress and singer who's worked on children's projects since the early 60s.
I snagged the album from Scar Stuff.
This endearing, little song won me over at first listen. I even like her sort of out-of-tune singing.
There's really not too much information about Lady Krishna's Peppermint Lounge, except for the little that appears on their MySpace page. Their fan club is riddled with pop-ups and white space.
As a fan of SynthPop and some Dark Wave, I always thought that I would like Japan. I tried a couple of times, but, for some reason, their moody electronics would not take.. till now. I'm all gooey for "Halloween", "Quiet Life", and "Fall in Love with Me".
Typical Aqua. Squeaky, silly, and great, braindead entertainment for the whole family. (That bald fool always makes me laugh.)
As of yesterday, they've reunited for a tour.
There's no Halloween without Helloween's screamy goodness. I must apologize for depriving you guys of the 13-minute version with its extra shrillness and more menacing atmosphere. I don't know about those lyrics, though.
In November, Helloween will be touring with Gamma Ray (former Helloween guitarist Kai Hansen's band).
Oozing with moodiness, Cristina
The end has smacked right into us, dear friends. All Soda Stereo tour dates have now been announced -- 19 shows in all. Drummer Charly Alberti confirmed it in a MySpace bulletin:
Hola a todos.
Finalmente , con la confirmación de Miami, se termino de confeccionar la gira.
Una vez mas queremos agradecer la gran cantidad de mensajes y cariño que nos transmiten en los mismos.
Gracias por compartir con nosotros este gran momento de nuestras vidas.
Charly
Soda Stereo
Besides LA, the recently added Miami will be the only other US city on Soda's map, which doesn't exactly surprise me. Since last month, there have been minor rumblings about whether the band would choose between Miami or NYC, if they were even scheduling another date in the States at all.
Tickets for the Miami show go on sale on October 1st, but keep an eye out for a presale code. Your best bets for obtaining the code are befriending Soda Stereo on MySpace... and googling. Good luck.
As always, if I read or hear anything of importance, I'll be sure to post it. That includes the wretched code. (But, really, don't I have enough Argentines to wrestle for some good seats without worrying about you guys?)
19/10 Buenos Aires, Argentina
20/10 Buenos Aires, Argentina
21/10 Buenos Aires, Argentina
24/10 Santiago, Chile
27/10 Guayaquil, Ecuador
31/10 Santiago, Chile
02/11 Buenos Aires, Argentina
03/11 Buenos Aires, Argentina
09/11 Monterrey, México
12/11 Guadalajara, México
15/11 D.F., México
16/11 D.F., México
21/11 Los Angeles, CA, US
24/11 Bogotá, Colombia
27/11 Panamá, Panamá
02/12 Caracas, Venezuela
05/12 Miami, FL, US
08/12 Lima, Perú
15/12 Córdoba, Argentina
Almost not disgusted by the circumstances, Cristina
| jaklumen jaklumen replied to Cristina’s comment: Sep 24, 2007 6:22 PM |
Not necessary... I just thought the thank yous were pretty sweet. I was going to translate how I read it, but thought at the time I'd do a bad job of it. I'll try anyway-- let me know if I got it right:
Hello everyone--
Finally, with confirmation from Miami, we've finished putting together the tour.
Once again, we'd like to to thank you for the huge amount of messages you've sent us and the support (affection) expressed in them.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful moment in our lives with us.
Charly
Soda Stereo
Soda Stereo will be playing LA's Home Depot Center on November 21st. There's no information up on Ticketmaster yet. It's probably a good idea to subscribe to Ticketmaster's email updates.
I know that some of you are as excited about this tour as I am, so I'll be sure to keep you posted on the rest of their US itinerary as soon as I read about it. Pulpo Magazine was the first to break the news on August 1st, so you may want to befriend them on MySpace.
All crooked smiles, Cristina
Just a reminder that Superdrag tickets for Nashville, Knoxville, Chicago, and Washington DC are already on sale. NYC and Boston tickets will be available this coming Friday.
And, just another excuse to post a good song. A (very) slightly different version appears on three eps as "I Guess It's American".
Oddly brief, Cristina
Two weeks ago, I asked Vu if he wanted to post the news that The Verve had reunited. He encouraged me to do it. I then suggested that he do it. Do you remember either of us posting anything about The Verve? Yeah.
So, guess what, solo-Ashcroft haters? ThE vErVe Is BaCk!
The Verve, minus Simon Tong of The Good, The Bad & The Queen, recently regrouped to record a new album and tour. So far, only six UK dates have been confirmed. All are now sold out.
That's it. Let's see how long this lasts.
They're not the only ones making drippy dreams come true.
On Valentine's Day, Spanish über-rock band, Héroes del Silencio, announced that, after over a decade of pleading, fans would finally be appeased with a meager 10-date reunion tour in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of their first recordings and the tenth anniversary of their break-up.
Héroes was my first introduction to energetic (Hard) Rock music that melded well with Spanish-language lyrics, instead of sounding awkward or awful. Lead singer Enrique Bunbury doesn't waste his words on posturing, tits, or disingenuous panty-wetters. Layered in metaphors, the lyrics often deal with social ills, the human condition, or painful love. And, that's what gets you in the end. The guy is an angry, raspy-voiced romantic. He fiercely emotes, and growls like a wounded animal. Pretty sexy stuff. (Who knew that scrawny-assed vegans could be this hot?!)
Besides the disappointing lack of shows, the other topic of interest is the mystery of lead guitarist Juan Valdivia's hand managing to sucker-punch rhythm guitarist Alan Boguslavsky into submission. Apparently, Valdivia's manus has been "weakened" by an accident, tendonitis, or a muscle-mushiness of some kind. (All I know is that no one seems to be sure what it is, but they - journalists, bloggers, fans - all refer to it as the "lesión".) This has resulted in Boguslavsky, who was added to the line-up in 1993, being replaced by Valdivia's brother for the tour. BUT, it is all in the name of moral support, folks. No hard feelings. They let him know in an email.
Anyway, all tour dates are, of course, sold out. Tickets for the September 28th LA show are up on Ebay, starting at about a $100 a piece. You should really go, if you can make it. If not, don't worry. They're one of the most bootlegged bands in Latin America. We'll see them up on Youtube soon enough.
My friggin' dreams have been smacked, flipped, rubbed down! Soda Stereo returns!
Emerging in the early 80s (with an insignificant, any-band album), Soda Stereo beautifully glided through fifteen years of New Wave, Rock, Dream Pop, Space Rock, and other genres to become one of the most beloved and influential bands in Latin America. If they'd sung in English, you'd definitely have them in your collection alongside Duran Duran, U2, Depeche Mode, The Police, etc.
This June, Soda confirmed that reunion rumors were true. They would briefly reform for twelve shows in seven countries to commemorate their last concert, which took place at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires in 1997. They are, however, already at eleven shows in only four countries. Me Verás Volver could very fortunately turn out to be a slightly longer tour than we could've imagined.
In addition to NYC and LA, Chicago and Miami will supposedly be on the itinerary. (No Hispanic left behind... except for those in Texas. But, you know what my man Danzig says.)
I will keep you guys posted. I promise to make you love them.
I'd heard. I'd read. But, I hadn't imagined that it would be this soon. Knoxville's bittersweet, Power Pop darlings Superdrag, are together once more and coming to six US cities (possibly not) near you this Fall.
I always assume that most people, who were of double-digit age in the mid-90s, will probably remember Superdrag's oft-played, MTV Buzz Bin hit "Sucked Out". You know, the "Who Sucked Out the Feeliiiiin?!" song. Yes? No? Well, whether you remember it or not, if you don't at least own one cd, you're missing out on some pleasantly pessimistic, reflexive, fun, endearing music.
After "Sucked Out" climbed Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart to number 17, everything quickly turned sour for Superdrag. The second single and full-length follow-up went nowhere; Their label dropped them; And, the bassist left to work on his own project. Still, the quality of their music never suffered. John Davis and co. consistently put out great albums till they called it quits in 2003.
Presale tickets became available last week. You can try to get them here: http://superdrag.ducatking.com/
Oh, did I forget to mention that it's the original lineup of John Davis, Brandon Fisher, Tom Pappas, and Don Coffey, Jr.? Yup, it's 1996 again and I'm miserably happy.
One more: Last week, Digital posted a Myspace bulletin with a link to a Shed Seven reunion story. The whole band, except for Fraser Smith, will reunite for a 14-gig Greatest Hits tour that starts at the end of November and ends mid-December. Tickets went on sale today, though the Wikipedia entry claims that MySpace fans had access to presale tickets on the 7th.
In all my years of loving Britpop, I've never paid attention to this band. While researching them, I've found that they're not bad at all. (Although, I'm pretty sure that I read an interview where one of them badmouthed Catherine Wheel while touring Canada with them years ago. Um. That's a bad thing, as far as I'm concerned.)
Consumed by tedium, Cristina
Lodi's very own horror-movie-loving, skull-collecting, fan-pummeling, Jerry-Only-hating, muscle-bound poet turned 52 yesterday.
I wanted to post half a dozen pictures of a shirtless Danzig pretending not to flex, pointing, or just looking mean, but then I'd have to pass out the smelling salts, wouldn't I? So, all you get is a bunch of covers and live performances.
The Nutley Brass, who've also covered the Ramones, perform cheerful, lounge versions of 11 Misfits classics. "Die, Die My Darling", "Last Caress", and "Angelfuck" are standouts, though the entire cd is pretty good. "Hatebreeders" is the only song with (oohing) vocals and the least recognizable.
Portland's The Misfats keep the tunes and amusingly mangle the lyrics into the Anti-Danzig: Reveling in all things Fat. Some of their parodies include "Mommy, Can I Go Out and Grill Tonight?", "Hungry Moments", and "Butter". You get it.
Even though I can't make out at least a third of the lyrics, there's enough there to make me giggle. (Glenn Hamzinger declaring "You Don't Go in the Bathroom.. After Me" in "Private Bidness" almost made me choke on my allergy snot.)
If you'd like to hear more, there's a download link on their MySpace blog. I'm not too sure if it still works, though. I do know of another source. Just mail me.
Aerial M is David Pajo of Pajo, Zwan, Tortoise, etc. From the little that I've heard, his own music is not too different from his accoustic version of "Last Caress", which is almost soothing and pretty -- if you ignore the lyrics.
I kind of laughed at the violent bits. Oh man.
Sleater-Kinney and three fifths of Pearl Jam performed "Mother" live in 2005. Googling will easily lead to the mp3.
The Misfits and Henry Rollins at The Whiskey in 1982. Rollins tries to keep up with Danzig, but just ends up screaming a lot.
Tip: Don't rent a movie solely based on what was screamed in a Misfits song. This guy's the Roger Corman of music.
Snottily, Cristina
A Los Angeles based indie-pop band, The Bird and the Bee combine their love of jazz and electro-pop to make some hypnotic tunes. Inara George (the bird) and Greg Kurstin (the bee) met each other while working on their own separate debut albums. Fortunately for us, they decided to join forces and work out an Again and Again and Again and Again, released in October 2006. I’ve included the video to the song “Again and Again” from that EP. Earlier this year they came out with the self-titled The Bird and the Bee (January 2007) which is just good stuff all around.
Trivia: They appear in a second life lounge, for those Second Lifers out there.
Remember? Remember that guy from "Judging Amy"? (Remember when you knew him even less?) Remember how he anxiously drove and drove until he reached the threshold of confusion, embarrassment, financial loss, and a possible beatdown? No..?
Who doesn't dream of their not-so-special day being ruined? After the first dozen viewings, I was pretty fond of J Ralph's song.. and the ad, too.
J Ralph is an accidental ad composer with little training but lots of action, or so he claims on NPR. The Illusionary Movements of Geraldine and Nazu is his second release. In 1999, he recorded a slightly less instrumental album, Music to Mauzner By, under the name Spy. "One Million Miles Away" appears on both.
Trivial Observation: What's up with that shirt that he wore for the NPR interview?
Incidentally, Cristina
